The inability—or unwillingness—of various levels of government to go directly to demolition on the coast and beaches it turns out … in all its glory in its business Rhodes. The “ping-pong” of free bar services in Glistra in 2021-2022 is typical. On the beach of Glystra, an expensive structure was gradually erected in front of everyone in a public forest area and on the seashore, in an area that was marked and archaeological excavations (see “K”, 3.6.2023).

Competent services quickly figured out what happens after complaints. On June 11, 2021, the Dodecanese Land Office issued a demolition report, followed by the Rhodes Building Authority (YDOM) on August 30 and the Dodecanese Forestry Authority in November. According to the YDOM demolition protocol, at that time “the construction of a wellness center with a 1,500 square meter deck-type wooden floor supported by metal beams was underway.”

urgent document

The correspondence that is at the disposal of “K”, is a revelation of continuity. On September 18, the South Rhodes Police Department sends an urgent letter Aegean Decentralized Authority, Municipality of Rhodes and Dodecanese Land Survey. “Please provide us with heavy vehicles, accompanied by workers, if your service has such vehicles, to transport to the safe storage area indicated to you a certain number of wooden beams 10-12 meters long and weighing 150 kg each, if their removal on the spot is not possible due to inability to keep them in place. It is mentioned that these beams were delivered to the site a few days ago and there are clear indications that they will be used to advance construction.

Two days later, the Decentralized Administration replies that it has no trucks and no workers. Three days later, Apocentromeni addresses the municipality of Rhodes and its two services. “Please let us know if you can, as required by applicable law, assist us in complying with the demolition protocol.” On September 28, the municipality’s Technical Works Department responded that it could contribute “with the provision of mechanical and operating personnel” without referring to the availability of vehicles.

Decentralized returns October 14th. In her letter to the municipality of Rhodes, she asks if she can provide the necessary cars. “Materials that will be removed will be disposed of in accordance with the law at the discretion of the Municipality of Rhodes,” he says.

Reset Request

The request goes unanswered, so Decentralized returns its question on November 3rd. A day later, the municipality of Rhodes is responsible to both the police and the Decentralized Administration. On the other hand, the police report that a group of employees went to the scene and showed them the confiscated materials. The picture they took… shows the progress of the work: three packs of 50 drywall sheets, ten drywall sheets inside the closed part of the structure (the SS was built in the meantime) and 20 beams of 6 meters. Then the municipality strictly defines the scope of its competence: “We know that any assistance from the municipality is limited, according to the law, to the availability of working personnel during working hours and the machines that it owns and can dispose of. It does not, under any circumstances, cover the escrow or storage of materials or equipment that does not belong to it,” requesting “specify storage at a location to be specified by the Decentralized Administration.” Finally, he points out that “we will not be able to transport 20 beams due to the impossibility of recycling the truck crane, which is decommissioned.”

The demolition protocol was drawn up in June 2021, and the correspondence of the authorities is indicative.

The reaction of the municipality to Decentralized Governance is of great interest. It claims that it has not responded to its documents because it has not been clarified “whether the unauthorized construction will be dismantled by a specialized workshop so that the seized materials can be reused by the competent state authority or not, or they should not be affected.” wear and tear for sale at auction. If this is the case, then the demolition operation should only be carried out in a specialized workshop, and we will only assist in the transportation of materials to a designated location or licensed management facility under the responsibility of the authority executing the demolition protocol.”

In addition, the municipality asks… demolition study. “You should introduce us to the demolition study, as it is about construction and not just materials, so that we can determine exactly which vehicles we can help with. Demolition work is a project and should be treated as a project. Each project, in order to be carried out, requires an appropriate study in accordance with the prerequisites of the legislation, regardless of whether it is carried out by a contractor or carried out by the same means. The service submits standards according to ELOT for demolition. And asks to be informed if, for a part of a single structure, which is located within the embankment, under the jurisdiction of the Real Estate Service, demolition work will be carried out jointly with a third party. And he concludes that the assistance of the municipality was requested … only for the part outside the beach, “and the removal of only one part, since the construction is one, is impossible without affecting the other part.”

November 8 The decentralized administration responds that it does not have storage facilities. “We believe that the services of the Municipality of Rhodes, in cooperation with the South Rhodes Police Department, can find a solution in the open or closed space available to the municipality.” The municipality responds three days later that it is still waiting for information on the issues indicated in the previous document. November 22 Decentralized returns. “We have no jurisdiction over seized evidence of violations, either potential or actual. The space offer we made is an offer due to lack of storage space. Our service would not hesitate, despite the lack of jurisdiction over the allocation of protected areas, if they existed. The question is to remove the materials in question, and other than a warning, we do not have the authority to impose where they go, ”he concludes. What the Decentralized Administration does not say is that the demolition is ultimately its responsibility, but it continues to spend money on correspondence with the municipality of Rhodes, which is constantly putting up obstacles.

Of course, no matter how services seek study and responsibility, beach bar… builds fine. December 2 The decentralized administration returns with a letter to the municipality and the police. “We were informed that in the Glistra beach area, unknown people resumed work on an already existing unauthorized building.”

On December 16, Apocentromeni sends a technical report on the demolition of unauthorized buildings to the municipality asking for information about the staff and their availability. The municipality is not responding.

On February 1, the city government of Rhodes issues an additional demolition protocol. He finds that a room of 262 sq.m. has already been built. and 15 poles up to 5.8 meters high were placed to create an arbor.

Suspension of performance

The sequel is known. The beach bar in Glistra was open as usual in 2022 and is open again this year. It is worth noting that the construction of the illegal beach bar coincided with the introduction (by law) of the suspension of the implementation of the demolition protocols on the seafront and beaches, which came into force in March 2021 and lasted two years. The same thing was repeated elsewhere in Rhodes, Mykonos and elsewhere, which indicates in the clearest way what message it gave and how the government’s decision worked.